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Geoarchaeological observation of earlier palaeolithic (EP) assemblages of the downstream South Han River Area (SHRA), Korea

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Abstract

This article introduces palaeolithic assemblages from the South Han River Area (SHRA) of South Korea and examines their ages in the geoarchaeological context. This task will be a starting point to discuss major factors responsible for the relatively late predominance of seemingly simple-and-crude Mode 1 toolkits in East Asia. Eight palaeolithic sites of the SHRA are covered and formation processes of their assemblages are examined based on geological features and published chronometric dates as well as additional proxy data. The ages of SHRA assemblages are roughly Late Pleistocene from MIS 5c to MIS 2. The lithic type variability of the SHRA is of typical Mode 1 technology which is principally composed of pebble-tools and minimally modified flakes. The issue of such a simple technology flourished in a limited area of East Asia during a quite late temporal range is discussed. A hypothetical explanation is that stone tools in the SHRA served as complementary items for making perishable primary living items out of organic materials and that local hominins were not obliged to be sedulous on such subsidiary items as stone tools. As a result, the nature of the SHRA assemblage looks apparently unlabored and expedient; this nature of lithic technology tends to be timeless and even survive anywhere anytime in East Asia, which can be recognized as retarded and not advanced.

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Acknowledgments

We appreciate the help of many relevant personnel of Gijeon Institute of Cultural Properties (GICP), Hangang Institute of Cultural Heritage (HICH), and Institute of the Korean Prehistory (IKP) who generously gave permissions to observe and visualize lithic specimens. In particular, we thank Mr. Jongyoon Woo, Mr. Seungwon Lee of IKP, and Mrs. Sookchung Shin of HICH for their generous help and encouragement. Yoo also extends his gratitude to Hyeongjun Kim, Min Soo Kim, and ** Ul Kim of Graduate school, Chungnam National University for their helps in visualization and software works. This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF2020S1A5A2A01046581).

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Lee, J., Yoo, Y. Geoarchaeological observation of earlier palaeolithic (EP) assemblages of the downstream South Han River Area (SHRA), Korea. Geosci J 26, 469–485 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12303-021-0045-z

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